So....

I feel like I have so much to write about! I have not blogged OR made one journal entry in over a week...which is huge! I pretty much journal every day...every couple of days when I get extremely busy. I have missed it - it's my outlet and where I get my thoughts organized.



So where do I start? Hmmm...I will start with last Thursday since it was my birthday:-) I woke up as a 27 year old, realizing I am 3 very short years away from 30. I might joke about getting "old" and approaching 30 but it really doesn't bother me. Life seriously goes by so quickly. I keep thinking of the verse in James that talks about your life being a vapor...here today, gone tomorrow. This may sound very depressing ,but sometimes I think too much about the end of life...one day it WILL happen. And when the reality of that hits me (as it does every now and then) it literally takes my breath away...kind of like the feeling you get as you near the top of a rollercoaster. It is then that I realize that it doesn't matter if I live for 27 years or 120 years, my life will be over in the blink of an eye. I appreciate that feeling because it makes me more aware of the here and now...how the little stuff doesn't matter (because all stuff is little in comparison), and how thankful I am for the people in my life. When you realize that life will end everything becomes more precious...a kiss from your husband is sweeter and more passionate, the need to be right diminishes (does it really matter if I am right and you are wrong?! btw,I wish I had this whole mentality before arguing with my husband...lol:-), people and not things become priority.



Beginning today,treat everyone you meet

as if they were going to be dead by midnight.

Extend all the care, kindess and understanding

you can muster, and do it with no thought of

any reward. Your life will never be the same

again.

- Og Mandino





Anyway, the rest of my birthday was awesome:-) The lady I work with threw a little birthday celebration ,complete with cookie cake (yum!), birthday hats, noise makers and chocolate for me. It made me feel so special!



When I got home I found a very sweet birthday card and a Starbucks gift card from Mike (he definitely knows the way to my heart!)I was so looking forward to dinner with my husband at Chili's. When we got there he gave the server his name, she looks down at her sheet and says "Hall...party of 12 right?" I start shaking my head and Mike just grins and nods...that sweet man invited some of our good friends to help celebrate my birthday! I really did not see that coming. We had both been busy all week getting ready to move and I was just expecting a quiet dinner. Usually I can tell when he is up to something but I was totally clueless!



Friday was signing day! I was so antsy all day at work...3:00 could not come fast enough! The signing on our house went smoothly for the most part. Felt so good to be handed keys to our house! If you have seen our house you know that it is small, and old and needs a little cosmetic updating here and there but it feels like home; In honor of our new house I want to have a viewing of "The Money Pit" , hahaha! I love that movie. Our home is on a couple of acres and has 2 stocked ponds, which is something my husband loves. I am not overly fond of fishing, but I do like to just sit and look at the water and enjoy the quiet:-) Thanks to some good friends and family (Lee, Karen, Travis,Starla and Holly you are lifesavers! And also Larry for helping with some electrical stuff and installing a light in our living room...yay!) we were able to get most of our stuff moved on Saturday. We definitely could not have done it without them! Between moving, cleaning and fixing things these people have been AMAZING! Holly pretty much spent all day with me Saturday helping with anything and everything (that included helping me keep my sanity!)There are still a few things at the apartment but we have until next Friday to get everything out.



Last night Stephen and Brandi (my brother and his girlfriend) stopped on their way to Atlanta to see our house. We went to eat at Amici's which had good food, but not such good service. oh well, at least we tried it:-) It was also nice to be able to just sit and talk with Brandi while the guys were briefly fishing. I had met her one other time in November and never really had a chance to just talk. She is so sweet and is really good for my brother. I pray for nothing but blessings for their lives.

Tonight I enjoyed a yummy spaghetti dinner prepared by Mike and now it is time to crash and start my weekend off:-)